Goodwood Festival of Speed 2017: the drifters gallery

MAZDA MX-5 - New Zealander Mad Mike Whiddett sends his rotary-engined Mazda MX-5 sideways - in a straight line - past spectators in the sponsors' enclosure.

MAZDA MX-5 - There's an MX-5 in there somewhere...

MAZDA MX-5 - The MX-5s's rotary engine exhausts upwards, straight out of the bonnet and over the car's roof. Better keep the hard-top on, we'd suggest.

MAZDA MX-5 - Inside Made Mike's car

DRIFT TYRES - In good condition. Well, we'll soon see to that

MAZDA MX-5 - Mad Mike is a quiet, subdued individual. Honest...

MONSTER DRIFTING - Ford Mustang man Vaughn Gittin Jr and the Range Rover of Terry Grant competed to burn some rubber

FORD MUSTANG - US drift ace Vaughn Gittin Jr used his Mustang's 900bhp engine to good effect, much to the delight of the crowd (hit Mustang's tyres: not so happy)

TERRY GRANT AND VAUGHN GITTIN JR - It's a Jaguar vs Ford Transatlantic drift off

TERRY GRANT - Stunt driver Terry Grant somehow found a volunteer to be used as a marker board for his donuts

NISSAN 370Z - Chris Forsberg's Nissan 370Z drift car was built in 2011 and is powered by a turbocharged V8 engine. American Forsberg is reigning Formula Drift champion.

NISSAN 370Z - Chris Forsberg's Nissan 370Z drift car is powered by a turbocharged V8 engine that produces 1000hp

NISSAN 370Z - Fun fact: Chris Forsberg taught himself to drift in his family's tractor. He'd take it out, floor the throttle in third gear and then slam on the brakes...

NISSAN 370Z - Forsberg is a self-taught drift driver. Well, drift school is very expensive these days

FORD MUSTANG RTR - Gittin Jnr almost filled the width of Lord March's driveway with his sideways antics

MAZDA RX-7 - Two-time European Drift Champion James Deane ran in his 1999 Mazda RX-7, which is powered by a 510bhp Nissan straight-six.

MAZDA RX-7 - Irishman Deane's Mazda is positively subdued compared to some of the other drift cars at Goodwood: it only produces 510hp.

FORD MUSTANG - Gittin Jnr entertains the crowds with a low-speed skid at the top of the hill

FORD MUSTANG - The drift car weighs 1270kg - about 500kg less than the road car

FORD MUSTANG - Smokin'

MAZDA MX-5 - Mad Mike Whiddett in his rotary-engined, 1000bhp plus MX-5

MAZDA MX-5 - Whiddett used to compete in Freestyle MotoX bikes, a discipline that makes drifting seem positively sensible by comparison

MAZDA RX-7 - Deane is a double Drift Allstars European champion

RANGE ROVER SPORT - Yup - that's a Range Rover Sport drift car, belonging to Terry Grant, celebrated stunt driver, and the man you often see driving up the Goodwood hill on two wheels

TOYOTA CHASER - Dean Kearney's Toyota Chaser drift car was another one giving the crowd something to shout about at the top of the hill

NISSAN GTR - Steve 'Baggsy' Biagioni's Nissan GTR drift car is reckoned to be the first in the world with a V8 engine - and it's just the 7.4 litres, making more than 1000bhp, and driving the rear axle only

NISSAN GTR - The rear wing of Baggsy's car features a line from a John Lennon song: "Imagine all the people living life in peace." There wasn't much piece when he took to the hill in his 1000bhp, 7.4-litre drift car, mind you...

VAUGHN GITTIN JR - Gittin Jr is one of America's top drift talents

TOYOTA CHASER - Dean 'Karnage' Kearney wheeled out his old 750bhp Toyota Chaser for Goodwood. He now competes in a 1500hp twin-turbo Dodge Viper

FORD MUSTANG - The lights on Vaughn Gittin Jr's Mustang shine through the shadow of the trees next to the flint wall

FORD MUSTANG - The crowd appreciated the drift machines

MAZDA MX-5 - Mad Mike has named his car the 'Radbul'. See what he did there?

FORD MUSTANG - Gittin Jnr salutes the crowd

FORD MUSTANG

SNAP HAPPY - The drift stars gave photographers plenty of opportunities

MAZDA MX-5 - Mad Mike Whiddett in his rotary-engined, 1000bhp plus MX-5

TOYOTA CHASER - Because if you were making a drift car, of course you'd start with a mid-sized four-door Toyota saloon